


a squish for hanukkah

by enbyofdionysus



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Office, Aromantic, Asexual Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hanukkah, Jewish Holidays, M/M, Queerplatonic Relationships, just a little bit of angst tho, there's a brief moment when Jason remembers a near sexual assault just a headsup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 09:23:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16658480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enbyofdionysus/pseuds/enbyofdionysus
Summary: Percy’s boss asks him to work on a holiday publication with his youngest son, Jason, who just so happens to be Percy’s type in more ways than one.





	1. a publication proposition

"Do you think he's going to fire you?"

Percy looked up from his computer where he'd been trying to get the pen tool to stop being a dick for the last five minutes. His best friend and coworker, Grover, was hovering above his cubicle, gnawing on a pen.

"What are you talking about?" Percy asked.

Grover saved the pen from the torture of his molars to point at the post-it note pressed to the top of Percy's computer monitor. The note read, 'Please see Mr. Grace in his office at 12:30.'

Percy shrugged. "I doubt it. If I was really in trouble, then Dakota would've been chewed out first."

They both turned to look at their boss' office, which was just behind a wall of glass.

Dakota was leaning back in his chair trying to aim a dart at a poster of Donald Trump's face. Based on the way he was struggling to stay upright in his chair, Percy figured he may have already been drunk.

"Do you think he's going to promote you?" Grover asked. His voice wasn't as nervous at this question, but it was still a little uneasy. Percy understood. Although he'd love to make more money, he'd be reluctant to leave the design department.

The design department of Jupiter LLC was a place of creative chaos. Three aisles of cubicles each housed their own personalities in a sea of color. Some hosted character sketches and positive typography posters. Others were covered in books.

At the end of the first aisle stood a cardboard cutout of Gandalf, and beside it in a cubicle covered in photos and food wrappers was Percy Jackson.

And while the design department certainly had its own deadlines and stress levels and weeks filled with internal screaming, the culture among the three cubicle aisles was perhaps better than the rest in the sea of corporate departments that made up the family-owned, family-run New York City law firm that was Jupiter LLC.

Percy didn't want to be promoted to a new department where he'd be forced to wear a tie and work with a bunch of guys named Chris and Steve that all looked the same.

"If he does, I hope it's only to senior digital marketing director or something," Percy said, "but Annabeth would be a better fit for that promotion."

"I wonder what he wants to talk to you about then," said Grover. He began gnawing on the pen again, flattening the plastic of the cap.

"Chill, dude," Percy said. "Whatever it is, I doubt it's serious."

**

"I have a very serious proposition for you, Mr. Jackson."

Percy blinked from his seat across from the very large and very solid wooden desk behind which was seated a very large and very solid looking man.

In a past life, Jove Grace could very well have been an amazing wrestler with a signature move involving choking his opponents to death with his thighs. But in this life, Jove Grace ran a family law firm with his several children and two significant others.

On one of his fingers was a gold wedding band with an inscription on it written in Greek. On the other was a silver band with an inscription on it written in Turkish. They clinked together when Mr. Grace folded his hands to stare Percy down.

"Our company will soon be sending out our annual holiday publication to our clients and consumers," said Mr. Grace. "I'd like you to lead this project in partnership with my youngest son, Jason."

Percy sat straighter in his chair, surprised. "I'm honored, sir," he said, "but forgive me for asking -- why me?"

"Dakota says you're one of the department's best designers," said Mr. Grace. Percy felt himself flush with pride. "And my assistant has informed me that you're Jewish."

Fear pinched at Percy's pride and pulled it back. "What does that have to do with anything?" he asked.

"My family is also Jewish," Mr. Grace said. Percy was immediately relieved. "In the past, we have made our annual holiday publication focus largely on Christmas to cater to our larger audience. But," he licked his lips, " _recent news_ has made me want to stake a larger claim in our own publication."

Percy nodded.

"We will still have a focus on Christmas," said Mr. Grace, "but I want more than one page focused on Hanukkah and I don't want it written in the back. I want Christmas and Hanukkah to intertwine in this issue."

Percy smiled. "I can absolutely do that, Mr. Grace."

"Thank you. I apologize for my son's absence. He's usually very punctual."

"It's no problem, sir. I can send him an email and we can meet up to discuss the publication together."

"Jason knows the specifics of what will go into the publication. I'd have you work with my daughter Athena, but I'm afraid she's on a business trip in Japan right now."

"I'll shoot him an email as soon as I get back to my desk," Percy said. "Thank you, again, for the opportunity."

"I have a good feeling about this," said Mr. Grace, leaning back in his chair. He rapped his massive knuckles on the top of his desk. With his salt-and-pepper curls and trimmed beard, he could have been a mob boss. "I think the two of you will be great partners."


	2. careful, the man you are about to meet is extremely hot

It turned out that Jason hadn't made it to the meeting because he'd misread the time on his father's post-it note. To make it up to Percy, he offered to take him out to coffee on company time to discuss the project.

Not one for saying no to getting paid to eat, Percy immediately accepted the invitation and made his way over to Kronos Cafe across the street. Ironically, the cafe also belonged to Jupiter LLC, having been acquired by the company back in 2009.

The acquisition had been a smart decision not only for the company to bring in additional cash, but also to have employee salaries circle right back into the company revenue. So, in a way, Jason didn't have to pay for the food he was offering to buy for him.

Percy tried not to judge too hard. After all, he was getting a bagel and coffee for free. But the promise of free food didn't keep him from feeling frustrated that he couldn't seem to spot Jason once he got to the cafe.

Kronos wasn't busy. There were a few people Percy recognized from the accounting department on their lunch break, and there some older folks over in the corner enjoying some soup. But he couldn't see anyone that resembled Mr. Grace in the slightest.

Percy checked his watch, annoyed. It was a little after 2:30. He wondered if the misreading of the post-it has just been an excuse and, really, Jason was just chronically late to everything.

"Mr. Jackson?"

Percy looked up. He looked up again. And then he looked up again.

By the window in a gray wool coat, running his leather-glove-clad hands together was one of the hottest men Percy had ever seen. He looked like a blond Clark Kent complete with a pair of thick-framed black glasses, blue eyes, and a strong jaw.

Percy felt a sudden urge to take a picture of his man and submit it under Urban Dictionary's definition of "Twunk."

"You're Percy, right?" the man asked.

"Oh!" Percy said, suddenly aware of how long he'd been staring. "Yes! I-- You're Jason?"

The man's eyes brightened immediately and Percy nearly had a stroke. "Yes, I'm Jason," he said. He stood to shake Percy's hand.

Percy took the last few extra steps to reach him. "It's nice to meet you. I'm sorry, I didn't think you were-- You don't look a lot like your father."

"Oh, yeah, don't worry. I get that a lot. Mom's genes came, saw, and conquered."

Percy frowned, thinking of Hera Grace's long, dark hair.

Jason read the confusion in his face. "My mother's Beryl Grace. Not Hera."

"Oh! The actress--" _Who committed suicide_ , Percy almost said, "--who was in that detective movie."

"That's her," said Jason. "Do you want something to drink? I was just going to get a coffee."

"Sure, give me just a sec." He set his briefcase down and shimmied out of his jacket. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Jason's eyes drift down but when he looked up Jason was merely looking out the window.

"Did you have anything in mind for the publication specifically?" Percy asked when they got in line at the counter. "I know it's mostly the same every year but--?"

"My dad thinks we should have some of our employees tell a story about their favorite holiday memory," said Jason. He was studying the menu with a strange amount of intensity for someone who was 'just going to get a coffee.' "We would need you to do some photography and maybe some vector art to suit the stories."

"No offense, but I think that's a great idea."

"Why would I take offense to that?"

"Because this is the first time I've seen the law firm have any kind of soul."

Jason huffed out a laugh, his eyes flicking toward Percy. "The firm has a soul," he said, "it's just been hiding for a while."

"That's so sad. Alexa, play Despacito."

Jason's laugh was audible this time and, much to Percy's amusement, he had a hard time stifling it to order their coffee and Percy's cream-cheese-apocalypse of a bagel.

"Peppermint mocha, huh?" Jason asked as they made their way to the serving end of the line. "I had you pegged as 'black coffee' kind of guy."

"Me?" Percy asked, incredulous. "The only time I'll drink black coffee is when I run out of creamer at home. I had _you_ pegged as a 'black coffee' kind of guy."

"Because I'm a soulless lawyer?"

"Exactly because you're a soulless lawyer."

Jason laughed. "Well, in that case, maybe I should've assumed you'd want a pumpkin spice frappuccino with sprinkles. Since you're a graphic designer and we're stereotyping."

"Joke's on you, I had one yesterday."

"I'm not surprised. So what's your favorite?"

"Drink?"

"No, holiday memory."

Percy noticed the small scar above Jason's upper lip. The barista placed a coffee on the counter. "I guess," he said, "it would have to be the Hanukkah after my stepdad died."

"Ah," said Jason with sympathy, "the classic bittersweet holiday memory. I get what you mean."

"Bittersweet isn't the word I'd use," Percy said, picking up his drink and sliding a cardboard koozie around it. "Joyous works better."

"Not the best stepdad?"

"He used to hit my mom."

Jason didn't say anything.

Percy handed him his gingerbread latte.

Jason lifted it. "To dead abusers," he said.

Percy gave a half-smile. He tapped his coffee to Jason's.

They waited patiently for Percy's bagel before making their way back to the table at which point Percy asked, "What about yours?"

Jason shrugged, sipping his own latte.

"Oh, come on," Percy said. "I'm supposed to share with you, but you won't share with me?"

"I don't have a favorite holiday memory," said Jason. "Honestly. My dad was always working during Hanukkah and my mom was never there. I celebrated with my stepmom and my dad's boyfriend, but the holidays are always chaos." He shrugged again. "I'm the youngest of nine kids."

Percy nearly dropped his coffee. " _Jesus Christ._ "

Jason laughed.

" _Nine?_ "

"Well, I was raised with nine."

"There are  _more?_ "

"Percy," said Jason, smiling, "remember who my father is."

"Right, sorry. That makes sense. Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

"It's fine. My dad and stepmom have an open marriage. My dad isn't always careful, but he makes sure no child of his is left wanting."

"I wish I had a dad like that. Sorry, again. I didn't mean--"

"It's okay."

Percy let out a big breath. " _Anyway_. The publication. Now that we've just made it to Gay First Base."

Jason let out a laugh so loud it surprised both of them as well as the elderly couple in the back corner of the shop. Jason clasped a gloved hand over his mouth, face red. After a moment, he wheezed, " _Sorry_."

Percy would deny it later, but he was smitten. "Are you kidding? I'm going to make you laugh like that at least 10 more times before this meeting's over."

He didn't. But he managed to do it at least twice and that was good enough for Percy.


	3. not a date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for a brief mention of a near-sexual assault that Jason remembers in this chapter.

Jason managed to get three spoonfuls of protein powder into his oatmeal by the time his brother slid through his office door. Granted, 'office' was maybe too kind a word for the storage closet that Jason had created for himself.

What would have been a decent office space with a view of New York City's beautiful winterscape had been covered with boxes of files and paperwork from various cases and lawsuits. Jason did his best to keep them organized, but that didn't stop them from cluttering his office until they became their own metropolitan area around his desk.

It was this mess that first greeted Jason's older brother, Apollo, before Jason's oatmeal monstrosity caught his eye.

"Ugh," Apollo said, by way of hello.

He was wearing one of his signature loud button-downs that always seemed to give Jason a headache. This morning, his shirt was covered in dark green palm leaves and dozens of small pink flamingos.

In reply, Jason spooned a glob of protein powder directly into his mouth.

Apollo gagged. He asked, "How'd the date go?"

Jason frowned, working the oatmeal-protein around in his mouth. "What date?"

"The one dad set you up on with the hot designer kid."

"Hot--? Oh. You mean Percy."

"Is that his name? God, that's unfortunate."

"You're one to talk. And it wasn't a date."

"Yeah, sure, it wasn't a date," Apollo said. "Dad's just conveniently having you work directly on a project that involves you writing the content for our annual holiday publication--"

"I was an English major, Pol."

"Instead of one of the digital marketing bastards--"

"Content marketing writers."

"Who could whip this shit out in half the time and he's having you do it with the hottie with a body from the design department."

Jason sighed. "It's just a project, Apollo."

"Tell that to dad."

Jason felt his fingers tighten around his spoon. "Don't you have someone to go sexually harass?"

Apollo genuinely looked taken aback. Jason instantly felt bad. "Got it," he said, pushing off the doorway. "I won't make fun anymore. But I'm not exaggerating when I say that dad's trying to hook you up. Maybe you should think about talking to him."

"Yeah," Jason said to make the conversation end, "sure. I'll think about it."

Apollo knocked his fist softly on the door and left.

Jason shoveled another spoonful of protein powder into his mouth, but he'd already lost his appetite.

He was one of nine kids and an uncle to several nieces and nephews. Jason didn't understand why his love life needed to be anyone else's business but his own.

It wasn't that Jason didn't want to be in a relationship.

Well, he didn't.

But that didn't mean he didn't want to be with someone either. He just wanted to be with someone in a different kind of way.

He wanted partnership without the pressure to have sex, without the pressure to kiss, without the pressure to get married and have babies and live and sleep together in the same room.

When Jason was young, he had thought that he was bisexual because he didn't care whether he fell in love with a boy or a girl. He had proudly told his father this at the age of 13. But it wasn't until college that Jason realized the reason why he didn't care if he fell in love with a boy or a girl was that he didn't care if he fell in love at all.

Every time Jason thought he felt what everyone else was feeling, those feelings would wash away the second someone tried to kiss him. He still had vivid memories of the time his friend Octavian had gotten high, confessed he had a crush on him, and then stole his first kiss.

Jason had felt more than uncomfortable. Octavian had apologized.

Jason said it was fine.

Octavian said he thought about kissing him all the time. He asked if he could touch him.

Jason said no.

Octavian apologized. He touched himself instead.

Jason said he had to leave. Octavian apologized again.

Jason said it was fine, again. It was not fine.

Jason didn't realize he had been stirring his oatmeal until his oats had mostly turned into bits and pieces. He sighed, suddenly exhausted.

 _Was it too much to ask_ , he thought, _to want to be with someone who just wanted to eat Chinese food and hold hands?_

His brother Ares had once laughed and said, _You mean friends?_

Jason didn't mean friends.

Friends didn't do the things Jason wanted to do with someone.

His heart ached.

_Ding._

Jason looked up at his computer. There was a new email from someone named PJackson4. The email's subject read, "Wanna get baked?"

"The fuck?" Jason asked aloud to himself.

He clicked on the email and his mood immediately lifted.

 _I have a great idea for a photoshoot for the publication_ , Percy's email read. _If you're up for baking cookies with my semi-crazy fam tonight, let me know. I know it's short notice, so I can always take the pictures myself. But I figured I'd extend the invitation since you don't seem to have any favorite holiday memories of your own._

He signed the email, _Your Favorite Peppermint LattGay_.

Jason smiled so hard his cheeks hurt.

He set down his bowl to reply. _I doubt your family could be crazier than mine, but I'd love to meet them. What time were you thinking?_

Jason thought for a moment and then signed the email, _Gingerbae Latte_.

He felt dumb writing it.

He felt dumb sending it.

He felt elated when Percy sent him back a series of keyboard smashes. They would meet in the Upper East Side at seven.


	4. happiness is a box of sugar cookies

"Does meeting your parents the day after meeting you count as Gay Second Base?" Jason asked, grinning from ear to ear as he shuffled to meet the shivering figure on the other side of the street.

The Upper East Side of Manhattan in winter was something out of a greeting card, all snow-dusted brownstone buildings and elegant windows. Unfortunately, the beauty of the area didn't make it any less cold and Jason was only mildly self-conscious of squishing his shoulders up to his ears.

Percy had been waiting for him on the sidewalk just outside his mom's apartment, bundled in a blue puffy jacket. Snow glittered in his dark curls and his green eyes were breathtaking in the streetlight. He laughed at Jason's question, breath rising in the frigid air.

"Gay Second Base is sharing an existential crisis," Percy said.

He led the way up a set of salt-covered steps to the main door and up a flight of carpeted stairs, kicking the snow off his boots as he went.

Jason followed, doing the same. The hallway was warm and it got warmer the closer they got to the top of the stairs before culminating in the coziness of Percy's mom's apartment. There was a faint sweet scent accompanied by the smell of cedarwood, almost like the inside of a well-loved leather jacket worn by-- _Oh_.

Percy smiled at him. Jason smiled back.

The apartment was small, but what it lacked in size it made up for in spirit. Everywhere Jason looked there were handmade Hanukkah decorations. Stars of David made from sticks, strings, and fake leaves hung from the walls. Little paper dreidels sat in unexpected corners. An odd-looking clay menorah sat on the coffee table with a small handprint stamped in the middle.

It took several moments for Jason to realize the crafts hadn't been done at once but had been saved over the last 20 years. These were children's decorations. These were _Percy's_ decorations.

Well, Jason realized at the sound of a small child's joyful scream, Percy's decorations and someone else's.

Jason carefully slid his boots off at the door, feeling a little out of place even as Percy took his jacket for him to hang up. "Is that…?" he asked, but he didn't know who he meant. He hadn't expected there to be a baby.

"That's my sister, Estelle," Percy said with a smile. He looked even better now that he had taken off his coat, dressed in a green sweater that made his brown skin glow. Jason had a hard time not staring at him. "She won't be doing much of the baking. She's about," he trailed off, thinking, "around 14 months."

"No offense, but I can't imagine raising a child to adulthood only to immediately begin raising another one."

Percy grinned. "It's 'cause I was such a damn good kid."

Jason snorted. "I bet."

Percy laughed and reached for a Canon camera perched on a small dresser in the entryway. He wrapped the strap around his head and arm so that the camera sat neatly against his chest. "Ready to make some memories?" he asked.

Jason felt very warm despite having taken off his jacket. He said, "Always."

**

Jason was wary about how much love he felt for the Jackson family. In as little as an hour, Jason felt that if anything happened to any of them he would kill everyone in the room and then himself.

Sally Jackson was a salty angel. She was biting and sarcastic and impossibly caring all at once. She told her husband, Paul, to go fuck himself as casually as you please while giving him a loving nudge with her hip.

Paul Blofis was every strangely-cool, but geeky English teacher Jason had ever had. He quoted Shakespeare unironically when Estelle spat up on his shirt. He talked to Jason for 20 minutes about fencing. He had a chain on his jeans not to look like an early-2000s teenager but because he was always losing his wallet.

Estelle made Jason want to be a dad. The reaction was almost immediate.

Jason held her while Percy got out the baby food to feed her before they started making cookies and the way Estelle looked at Jason made him feel as if he were being judged by God -- her stare was pure and good and holy. Then she smiled at him around her tiny ravioli fist.

Jason almost cried.

Percy made fun of him for it. He took his baby sister into his arms like she was a tiny meat package and blew a big puff of air directly on her stomach.

Estelle squealed with joy, kicked Percy in the eye, and then settled down to be fed.

Jason never wanted to leave.

He was two sugar cookies into decorating when Percy started taking pictures. He had been taking them before, but Jason hadn't been looking, too busy pretending to be awed by the monstrosity that Estelle had made of her own cookie.

"I don't think I've ever done this before," Jason admitted after finishing his third. It was a dreidel cookie and he had taken great care to give it as much intricate detail as he could. It looked like his grandma's bathroom rug.

"You've never decorated cookies?" Percy asked. He was trying to get a close-up shot of Estelle with a fistful of frosting. She was licking it from her chubby fingers like a criminal.

"I've decorated cookies," Jason said, "but never, like, with my family. I think there were too many of us."

"Well, I'm glad you could join us, Jason," Sally said, smiling. "You're welcome to come over decorate cookies any time."

Jason felt like he might cry again. Fortunately, Percy chose that moment to swoop down and eat his grandma's bathroom rug.

"Hey!" Jason said, without that much protest. Percy winked, cheeks full. "How about you give me the camera?" he asked. "You only decorated one cookie so far."

"Do you even know how to use a camera?"

" _Do you even know how_ \--," Jason said in a shitty attempt at Percy's voice. "Yes, I took a photography class in college. Now, gimme."

Percy laughed. "Well, since you asked so _nicely_."

Jason slid the strap of the camera around his neck and left arm. He quickly got a shot of Percy flicking him off before Sally got a chance to yell at him and laughed before turning to zoom in on a shot of Estelle smearing frosting across another sugar cookie.

The photos he got weren't half-bad if Jason said so himself.

He got a shot of Paul looking at Sally with doe-eyes, a shot of Sally laughing, and quite a few shots of Estelle starting to fall asleep in her high-chair.

He got a few shots of Percy, too, hunched over a sugar cookie with his tongue pressed against his lower lip in concentration. There was a tiny wrinkle between his eyebrows and a stray hair was sticking up just so behind one of his ears. Jason desperately wanted to touch it.

"Let me have a turn," Sally said, reaching her hand out for the camera.

Jason handed her the camera without question. He had been thinking of painting one of the gingerbread men on the table with a Gandalf beard and he desperately needed such a cookie in his life.

Percy was halfway through smearing a horror movie's amount of frosting onto a single chocolate chip cookie when he glanced up at Jason's work. There was a camera flash. "Is that--?" Percy asked. Another camera flash. He laughed out loud. "Is that Gandalf?"

"Gandalf the Gingerbread," said Jason, pronouncing 'ginger' with a hard 'G'.

The cookie was made up of two eyes and the longest beard Jason could manage. He was trying to get the hat just right.

Percy laughed again, head thrown back. Jason bit his lip around a smile. "I have a Gandalf cutout by my cubicle," he said. "We call him Gandalf the Gay because-- well, half the department is."

Jason laughed. Then, suddenly meeting Percy's eyes, he felt nervous.

Abruptly, agonizingly nervous.

Why was he so nervous?

Before he could stop himself, and without any pretense, Jason stammered, "I'm asexual."

In Jason's mind, the world stood still. His heart rate skyrocketed in his chest. Time didn't exist. He felt thrown back to when he'd come out to his dad for the second time, when his dad had told him he just needed to find the right person.

In reality, the world went on. Jason's heart beat at a regular rate. Time existed. Jason's dad wasn't there. Paul was picking Estelle up out of her high-chair to take her to bed. Percy was saying, "Oh, cool! Me too."

_Me too._

"You too?" Jason repeated.

"Me too," Percy said, smiling. "Crazy, huh? I guess we really do run in packs."

 _I'm not exaggerating_ , Apollo had said, _when I say that dad's trying to hook you up._

"Yeah," Jason said. His nerves settled. His heart thrummed. He smiled. "Crazy."


	5. you've got a squish in me

Something was up.

At least, that's what Grover kept telling him. Something about his eyes. He was smiling too often. Putting too much creamer in his coffee. Eating _candy canes_ Percy you _never_ eat candy canes.

So, alright. Fine. Something was up.

Except Percy didn't want to say it.

Out loud it felt foreign and odd to say. The words for it didn't feel quite right, a boot that fit in the foot but not in the calf. A mask that covered the face but makes it hard to see.

There were words for it, but they were a different person's words describing different feelings. If Percy were different, someone would say he had a crush. If Percy were different, he would tell them they were right. If Percy were different, he would be thinking of a scarred lip between his teeth and blond hair under his fingers.

But because Percy was Percy, someone would say he had a crush. And because Percy was Percy, he would tell them they were wrong. And because Percy was Percy, he thought of a shared smile around a sugar cookie, of warm hands in his on the ice rink, of laughter in the snow.

Percy had been hanging out with Jason for a week. He had compiled plenty of photos, worked out all the illustrations, gotten all of the concepts he needed to arrange the layout and the artwork of the Jupiter LLC Holiday Publication.

They had baked cookies together, gone ice skating, gone to look at holiday lights. Tonight, they would be feigning the fifth night of Hanukkah to get some more religious shots for the publication.

They wanted to be finished with the publication by Thanksgiving so they could get the print editions on the steps of their clients by December 1st.

The odd thing was that Percy actually felt nervous about it.

Not the publication. He was more than confident in his skills as an artist.

 _Take_ that _high school_   _insecurity._

It was that he felt like something was growing between him and Jason, and he wasn't quite sure what to do with it.

Since Jason told him he was asexual, something eased in Percy's gut. He expected that something to ease again when he told Jason he was aromantic around a peppermint mocha the other morning.

Instead, that something grew again and spread out through his veins. Jason hadn't looked at him with confusion, but instead with a curious kind of awe. _He's beautiful_ , Percy thought at that moment.

And then Jason said, "Me too," like they had been looking for two odd-shaped puzzle pieces only to realize the pieces had been in their hands the entire time.

Grover was right. Something was up.

And that something, Percy realized, was _want_.

Percy rarely _wanted_.

He wanted to bake more cookies with Jason. He wanted to watch him hold his baby sister. He wanted to make him laugh. He wanted to eat pizza with him. He wanted to go on walks with him around the city. He wanted to lay on top of him on a shitty couch. He wanted to see what Jason was hiding behind each of the bandaids he'd placed over his heart.

He wanted to sit with him on those horribly cold nights. He wanted to feel safe with someone on a deeply intimate level. He wanted to feel Jason's chest on his cheek. He wanted to breathe his air.

He _wanted_.

 _Maybe it's nothing_ , said a voice in his head. _Maybe you're just lonely_.

 _Maybe you've been gay this whole time_ , said another voice. _Maybe heterosexism has just made you disgusted by contact with other men and this is your gayness finally waking up_. _You've been faking. You've been faking. You've been faking_.

"Do you want to get enchiladas later?" Grover asked, peeking his head into his cubicle. His beanie was starting to fall off, revealing curly red hairs underneath.

Percy stared at him. He asked, "We're intimate, right?"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"I mean, you touch me a lot."

"You okay?"

"And I touch you."

"Yeah."

"And I'm not grossed out by it."

"That's good."

"Sorry, I'm-- I think-- I think I--"

Grover frowned. "How about we get enchiladas now instead of later? You look like your brain could use some sauce."

**

After deep-throating two bean enchiladas and listening to Percy ramble for 10 minutes, Grover brightly realized, "Oh, you have a squish."

Percy instantly felt an immense amount of love for his best friend. " _Yes_. But _fuck_. Why is it so bad?"

"Because Jason's really hot."

Immense love gone. " _Grover_."

Grover shrugged. "Did you expect a squish to be amazing? There's a reason why people hate crushes, man. They make you a little crazy."

"I just want to hold his dumb fucking hand. Is this how you felt with Juniper?"

"Worse. I wanted to hold her dumb fucking hand and rub the back of it in little circles."

Percy took a massive bite of his enchilada. Through his mouthful, he asked, "What do I do? Do I tell him? It's only been like a _week_."

"If it makes you feel any better, a lot of people tend to look for long-term mates during the winter months."

"Please don't use the word _mate_."

"Does he like you too?"

"He's been having a good time and stuff, but I don't know if he has a squish, too, if that's what you're asking."

"Well, what have you guys done together?"

Percy told him about the few events they did to get photos for the publication. They were responsible for the Hanukkah segment of the publication; a few other designers were responsible for the Christmas segment.

Mid-way through talking about decorating cookies, Grover asked, "Do you have the pictures?"

Percy reached for his bag. He slid his camera out and handed it to Grover. "What about them?"

"Gimme a sec," Grover said.

Percy gave him a sec. While he waited, he dissected one of his enchiladas with his fork, eating the ingredients piece-by-piece. After a few minutes had passed he asked, "Well?"

"Your sister's adorable."

Percy rolled his eyes. He shoved a chunk of beef into his mouth and sat back in his chair. "I'm not gonna tell him," he said. "He'll be going back to work for his dad after the project anyway, it'll just make things awkward."

"It's not like you're asking him to marry you," Grover said. "Just ask him out on a date."

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because we're both aromantic, Grover."

"And aromantic people can't go on dates?"

"We--" Percy paused. "Oh."

"The only reason you haven't been on a date is that you don't want to be a romantic relationship and you don't want to sleep with someone," Grover said with a shrug. "If you ask Jason out on a date and you're both aromantic  _and_ asexual, there won't be any misunderstanding or anything, right? It'll still be queerplatonic. It'll just be a date."

"Holy shit, you're right."

"Exactly. And as for whether or not he'll say yes, I'm pretty sure he'll say yes."

"How could you possibly know that?"

Grover triumphantly held up the back of the camera to show what he had been looking for.

Percy looked at the picture on the small viewing screen. He recognized it as the moment he'd caught sight of Jason's Gandalf cookie.

He was laughing in the photo, eyes squinted shut. He felt self-conscious of his teeth and stared at them for a second longer than necessary before he realized Jason was looking at him differently in the photo.

It was a look that made Percy blush down to his toes, a look that hadn't been for the camera but that the camera had caught anyway. It was the same look Paul gave Sally when she sang to Estelle.

Percy muttered a long string of curses.

"Get that bread," Grover said, taking the camera back.

"That's not what that means."

"Get that enchilada."

"That-- Alright, sure."


	6. fuck off, triton

Percy had expected the night to go a little differently.

He had expected it almost to be like a real Hanukkah celebration with prayers and singing and food. He had expected to feel nervous and edgy, to see Jason's face in the glow of the Chanukiah and feel, well, something.

Instead, it was just Jason and Percy in Percy's apartment trying to get a good photo of the Chanukiah in the window before the sun set too low.

Jason was following Percy's instructions to hold the reflector the right way. Well, he was following Percy's instruction as best he could with a cat trying to eat his shoe laces.

"Triton," Percy said, not looking up as he got another shot. Why did his cat have to be a giant dick? "Fuck off."

Triton didn't fuck off. The large cat just purred louder and chomped on Jason's shoe laces and then his hand when Jason tried to push him away.

Percy set down the camera to pick him up and plop him down on his cat tree.

The cat tree wobbled under the assault.

Triton hissed.

"I said 'fuck off,'" Percy said, hissing back. "This is your own fault."

As if he were the cause of Triton's inner demons, Jason said, "Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. How's your hand?" Percy came back over to him, reaching out to take Jason's hand in his. There was a tiny bite mark, but luckily there wasn't any blood.

"Nothing that hasn't happened before," Jason said with a small smile.

"You have a cat?" Percy asked.

Jason nodded. "Bacchus. He's a fat tabby. I have him on a diet right now to slim him down, but he figured out how to open his food container."

Percy laughed. He realized he was still holding onto Jason's hand. He let go of it. "Uh, well, I think I've got all the photographs we need to finish the publication. Do you want to--?" He cleared his throat. "Do you want to stay for, like, food or whatever?"

"Dinner at 5 PM seems a little early," Jason said. "We could do something beforehand and get pizza or something. Unless you had plans for tonight?"

"No plans, just you," said Percy. "We could, uh, watch a movie? Or, uh, Netflix?"

"Netflix and chill, huh?"

"Yeah, but like, actually Netflix and chill."

Jason smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

 _Sounds like a_ date, Percy thought. He felt odd blowing out the candles in the Chanukiah when they had been burning for less than the designated time, but because it wasn't really Hanukkah he figured it wasn't a problem.

Jason helped him put away his photography equipment and Percy tried not to pay too close attention to how close their bodies were or how warm Jason's hand had been or how the blue in Jason's sweater brought out his eyes.

Unfortunately, his studio apartment didn't offer him much of anywhere else to look. Percy's apartment was around 200 square feet. It comprised of a gray couch that folded out into a bed, a tan cat tree by the window, a brown shelf drilled into the wall as a makeshift desk, and a few more brown shelves as a makeshift closet.

His real closet was too thin to hold much of his clothes and so it held his photography equipment instead. Percy chewed on his lip as Jason helped him put it all away.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Percy said.

Jason looked up at him curiously, all baby blue eyes and blond hair and scarred lip and hard jaw and Roman nose and beautiful beautiful beautiful.

 _Back out_ , Percy's brain screamed. _Back out! Back out!_

"Do you…?" He couldn't get the words out. His throat tightened. "Do you want, uh? Uh, do you want, uh, want olives on your, uh, pizza?"

_Fuck!_

Jason made a face. "Do _you_ want olives on your pizza?"

"Oh-- _No_ , I was just-- I don't know. Asking. In case. You know, uh, if you wanted. Them. Olives."

"Oh. No."

"Okay, cool. We're on the, uh, same page."

"Are you feeling okay? We don't have to get pizza if you don't--"  
  
"No, I want pizza. I love pizza."

"Cool."

"I just wanted-- you know, to know if you wanted olives."

"I don't like olives."

"Cool."

"Cool."  
  
"Cool."

"Cool."

"Do you want to-- Do you want to go on-- On a-- Do you want--" Percy pinched at the skin of his hand. "Do you want to go on an olives?"

Jason let out a loud puff of laughter. "Go on a _what?_ "

Percy laughed, too embarrassed at himself not to. God, his entire face was burning. "I meant, _I meant_ , oh, _Jesus_."

"An _olives_!"

"Shut up!"

"What is an _olives!_ "

"A date! I meant a date, you chode!"

"Do I wanna what?"

"Do you want to go on a date?"

Jason was still laughing, his entire face red and his eyes wet with tears. He said, "Will olives be there?"

"You're such a dick," Percy laughed, but he was wiping tears away too. "Shit, I'm revoking my question. Take yourself out for olives or whatever."

"I mean, sure."

"What?"

"I'll go on a date with you."

Percy blinked up at him in surprise. "Really?"

Jason shrugged, suddenly shy. "Isn't that kind of what this is? The food and Netflix?"

"It could be if you want it to."

"Okay. But not, like, in a romantic--"

"Nope."

Jason smiled and suddenly it was as if no tension had been between them at all. The something that had been winding itself through Percy's nerves finally eased. He felt like Icarus finally reaching the sun.

He asked, "Just for future reference, how are you with kissing?"

"Oh." Jason's face pinched. "I don't actually-- I mean if you want to, I'd be willing to try. But I'm not super into kissing."

"Oh, thank god, me neither."

Jason huffed a laugh. "No?"

"I always wanted to try," Percy said. "But every time I do, it's like my lips pull back into my face. I can only do family kisses."

"That's perfectly fine with me," Jason said. He licked his lips. "But, uh, if you're into it there's this other thing that I like to do."

"Yeah?" Percy asked, curious. "Show me."

Jason wiped his hands on his jeans before stepping forward so they were only a few inches apart and then he was right in front of Percy. He was maybe an inch taller. His cologne made Percy's heart skip a beat.

Jason leaned in.

For the briefest of moments, Percy felt fear. But then Jason pressed his forehead to Percy's and the tips of their noses gently squished together.

Jason opened his eyes.

Percy breathed, "Oh."

"Is this okay?" Jason asked.

"Yeah. I'm just… feeling. A lot."

"Me too."

Percy closed his eyes. He took in the smell of Jason's cologne, the fabric softener on his clothes, the faint scent of hot chocolate on his breath. He whispered, "Wow."

"Yeah," Jason said, and when Percy opened his eyes he was smiling with the same look in his eyes at the photograph. "Wow."

"I think, I think I have a new favorite holiday memory."

"Yeah?" Jason smiled. "I think I do too."


	7. your ace is grace

A coffee cup gently smacked on the surface of Jove Grace's desk.

"Jason's only coming for half of Hanukkah this year," said Jove's personal assistant and husband, Gannon. He looked entirely too smug and entirely too attractive in his Armani suit. "Do you want to know why?"

Jove gave an exaggerated sigh and tried to look interested in his paperwork. Beside him sat the printed edition of their latest holiday publication. It was wonderfully done and Jove was more than happy with the outcome.

He wondered if, maybe, his youngest son would be happier working in the design department as a content marketing writer. He could apply his talents to their company website and elsewhere rather than wasting them writing up reports.

"No," he said, knowing full well Gannon would tell him anyway.

Gannon did. "He's going to his partner's family's house."

"Is that so."

Gannon looked way too pleased with himself. "That is so."  
  
"With that designer boy? Jackson?"

"What did I tell you?"

"Ugh."

"I'm a matchmaker."

"You're a nuisance."

"But I'm your nuisance." Gannon slid off the desk and leaned in close, pulling Jove in by the necktie.

They kissed.

Jove smiled.

"Don't be late for the first night this time," Gannon said. "Clock out early like the rest of the family."

"I'll do my best."

"Not good enough." The hand that had been happily moving against Jove's thigh re-appeared with a set of car keys. Gannon jingled them. "I'll be back for you at 3."

" _Gannon_."

"You wanted to put a greater emphasis on your religious traditions this year," Gannon said, slipping right out of his reach. He really did look too good in his suit. "I'm holding you to it."

"Ugh, fine. For the family."

On his way out, Gannon winked. "Happy Hanukkah, my love."

Jove huffed, but it was only for show. "Happy Hanukkah, my ass," he said.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry I didn't include any actually-celebrating-Hanukkah scenes -- I planned to, but I wanted to get this out before the holiday season. I hope you enjoyed this!
> 
> If you liked this story, please leave a comment! c:


End file.
